Why We’re Here

Why We’re Here
by Sylvie Shene

We were not born
to obey,
to please,
to fit the mold carved by broken hands.

We came
not to carry our parents’ shame,
but to set it down.
Not to wear their masks,
but to peel them away.

We are here
to feel
what they could not bear to feel.
To hold the scream
that once was silenced.
To shed the tears
that flooded underground.

Our purpose is not perfection.
Not applause.
Not even peace—
but clarity.
To see through illusion,
and stay awake when the world begs us to sleep.

We are here
to reach back
to the wounded child within,
and whisper:
I see you.
I will not betray you.
Not again.

And in that moment,
we rewrite everything.
We stop the wheel from turning.
We become
What they never could:
conscious.